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There’s a joke at work that I’m “bad” Julie and the other Julie in the department is “good” Julie. There are days when I have a tendency to agree, as she has done more charitable work in her young life than I have done in my old life.

On the other hand, I do give money every month to Smile Train, which is why I’m writing this today. Not to toot my own horn, but to make you, my gentle readers, aware of a great place to put your charitable dollars. I know, things are tough all over, but I’m sure some of you have a few spare dollars to give to an honorable charity.

In today’s world, you have to be careful just where your charitable dollar is going. There are a lot of charities out there where administrative costs and salaries eat up more than half of all the money donated. You don’t have to worry about that with Smile Train. As their site points out, 80.7% of their money goes to program services. Less than 2% goes to administrative costs and less than 20% goes to fund raising.

As quoted on their website, “Smile Train mission is focused on solving a single problem: cleft lip and palate.
Clefts are a major problem in developing countries where there are millions of children who are suffering with unrepaired clefts. Most cannot eat or speak properly. Aren’t allowed to attend school or hold a job. And face very difficult lives filled with shame and isolation, pain and heartache.”

Smile Train not only provides the money and equipment for these life-changing surgeries, they provide the training so that local doctors can perform them. Training local doctors and nurses reduces costs.